CH 97

Upon hearing the news that it was not from the southwest but from the northwest, Lu Shi Qing frowned slightly and motioned for him to speak.

Zheng Zhuo said: “Huihu’s Dolan Chuu Khan was assassinated in his palace the night before yesterday and is now seriously injured and comatose, his life seems to be in danger.”

“The source of the news?”

“The spy I arranged in the Huihu Khanate’s court urgently sent back the letter with eight hundred miles stamp.”

“Besides you, how many other people know about this?”

“The Huihu royal family has not moved yet, and the common people are also calm. Dolan Chuu’s subordinates must have blocked the news. But since I can know, I’m afraid there are other people who already knows in Great Zhou.”

Lu Shi Qing shook his head: “It’s not necessarily true.”

“Why?”

“If Dolan Chuu is really injured like that, how can he hide it from the eyes of the royal family, but let your spy get the news at the first moment, and smoothly transmit it all the way back to Chang’an?”

“What do you mean?” Zheng Zhuo had some understanding, “Perhaps Dolan Chuu was not assassinated, or was it just a small injury?”

After he asked, he thought about it and was puzzled: “Then what’s the purpose of him sending the news to me?”

Lu Shi Qing fell silent when he heard this, he walked to the window with his hands behind his back, and then walked back again. After pacing back and forth two times, he said: “If Dolan Chuu dies, who will be the next leader of the Huihu Khanate?”

“His son Pei Li.”

“Pei Li and Dolan Chuu, what are the key differences in their foreign strategy?”

“A few years ago, when the Second bother had not yet expelled the Turks, Dolan Chuu advocated pro-Zhou and anti-Turks, but Pei Li supported pro-Turk and anti-Zhou.”

“In other words,” Lu Shi Qing smiled faintly, “if Pei Li came to power in a short time, it’s very likely that the Turks who have been silent for a long time will make a comeback.”

Zheng Zhuo suddenly raised his head: “You mean, Dolan Chuu is not seriously injured at all, but just want to use this news to remind me that Turks have met an opportunity to come back from the ashes?”

Lu Shi Qing narrowed his phoenix eyes slightly, and nodded after a long silence.

“In this case, why did he only remind me? This matter is related to the life and death of Great Zhou. Father is still alive, and I have limited power in my hands. He has no reason to bypass Father and cooperate directly with me.”

“Because the pro-Zhou’s Dolan Chuu also began to hesitate where to stand.” Lu Shi Qing said decisively, “Great Zhou is no longer the Great Zhou with millions of soldiers who slaughtered Turks with a snap of its fingers. Now even Nanzhao, such a tiny speck of land, can threaten our southern border again and again. Dolan Chuu has long lost confidence in His Majesty. He is pinning his hopes on the next monarch of Great Zhou, and is testing whether you have this ability.”

Zheng Zhuo’s eyes flickered slightly: “But Dolan Chuu doesn’t know me well, why he chose me so hastily?”

“Because he has no other choice.” Lu Shi Qing pondered for a while, “If my projection is correct, what he was worried about, the so-called resurgence of the Turks, is precisely the handiwork of your Second and Third brother. It seems there’s a problem in Yazhou over there.”

He raised his eyes at this point: “A Zhuo, this is a danger, but also an opportunity. We’ve been building secret beams for so many years, it’s time to build a tall building.”

After discussing with Lu Shi Qing, Zheng Zhuo immediately ordered his spies distributed in the southern region to go to Yazhou to investigate deeply. It was just that the place where the Second Prince was sent to was really far away, an isolated island, and it was extremely inconvenient to come and go. On the other hand, he had to avoid the spies buried in the sea area by people who were also concerned about the Second Prince. By the time they got the news, it was already more than half a month later.

At this time, Dolan Chuu, who was rumored to be “seriously injured by the assassin”, had already recovered and began to take charge of the government again.

After a while, in early Twelve month, war broke out in the territory of the Huihu Khanate. The Turks, who had been jointly exterminated by the Great Zhou and the Huihu, shrunk into the wilderness, and withdrew from the stage of history for several years, made a comeback overnight. Using the Northeast Mohe tribe as a corridor, they deployed 300,000 troops at the border of the Huihu, and after some threatening moves, they invaded massively.

When the news came out, the four domains were shocked. Emperor Huining hurriedly summoned his ministers into the palace to discuss matters, and the fire in Xuanzheng Hall was not extinguished day and night.

In the early morning of the next day, Yuan Ci Xian woke up and saw that the mattress beside her was empty and tidy, without any trace of wrinkle, so she knew that Lu Shi Qing didn’t return all night.

The news hadn’t reached her yet, but she wasn’t clueless. The only possibility for Lu Shi Qing to stay in the palace for the whole day and night, unable to even sent out a message, was that Emperor Huining presided over the closed-door discussion with the courtiers. And what could cause such chaos in the imperial court if not a war closely related to Great Zhou.

It was just that in the chaotic world, there was not really peaceful place. She didn’t dare to draw a conclusion for a while where the war broke out. The only thing that was certain was that the raising of troops this time had nothing to do with Nanzhao. Xi Ju depends on Great Zhou to ascend to the throne, and it was absolutely impossible to make trouble at this time.

She pondered secretly. When she was having breakfast, Xuan shi asked what Lu Shi Qing doing in the palace, but she only laughed and said that he brought back with a message last night, saying that it was too late after finishing his official duties, and the palace gate had been locked, so he had no choice but to stay in the outer palace.

But Xuan shi was not stupid. Seeing that Yuan Ci Xian ate breakfast all by force, looking absent-mindedness, she naturally thought that something serious had happened. But since Yuan Ci Xian didn’t mention it, she couldn’t ask more questions, lest she make this burden on her heart heavier, and disturbed her pregnancy.

Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, both hid their thoughts, and no one mentioned Lu Shi Qing again. It was not until dusk that Yuan Ci Xian couldn’t sit still, so she planned to call Cao An to ask.

In fact, looking for him was just a hopeless effort. The other person was in the palace, it was naturally impossible to know what happened inside. It was just that since last month, Lu Shi Qing stopped talking to her about government affairs, probably because her belly was getting bigger and bigger. In the past month, she had almost no knowledge of the court’s movements, so she wanted to probe Cao An and see what he had been up to lately, then she could judge and guess from it.

Unexpectedly, before she had time to send someone to call Cao An, a servant reported that Lu Shi Qing had returned, so she obediently waited in the house.

In the wintry Twelfth month, the frost and wind were biting cold. It had already snowed in Chang’an before, and looking at this cloudy sky, it seemed that there would be another snowfall soon.

Lu Shi Qing was covered in frost when he returned. Afraid of freezing Yuan Ci Xian, he took off his wet cloak outside, and went inside wearing only a light fur. Before entering her room, he also warmed his hands with the charcoal stove.

Yuan Ci Xian waited for a while before seeing him rushing in, and immediately got up from her seat. When he came to her, she reached out to caress his eyebrows, wiped a little hoarfrost on it, and asked him: “Is it cold?”

Lu Shi Qing choked. He thought that her first sentence would definitely ask what happened inside the court.

He stretched out his freshly warmed hand to hold hers: “It’s not cold.” Seemed to be signaling her to touch it.

Yuan Ci Xian glanced at him: “I’ll temporarily hold you, this Buddha’s feet!”

He smiled and helped her to sit back. Because the freshly warmed hands were hotter than hers, he simply knelt down in front of her, took her hands, and rubbed it in his palms.

Yuan Ci Xian looked down at him, and after a long time, he still didn’t speak, so she bent her eyes and said with a smile: “Suddenly being so nice to me, did you do something to be sorry for me, or are you going to do something to be sorry for me?”

Lu Shi Qing’s hand movements froze, raised his head, and saw that the smile on her face remained the same, and even a little more proud: “Bullseye!”

Lu Shi Qing didn’t say a word, curled the corners his lips, then lowered his head to kiss her palm. He waited until her hands were warmer than his before looking up at her again.

But at this time, the smile on Yuan Ci Xian’s face had disappeared, she stared at him with red eyes, “Tell me, where are you going this time?”

He bent his knees and didn’t get up, raised his head and smiled lightly: “Just go to Huihu.”

Yuan Ci Xian suddenly didn’t dare to see his smile, looked up at the ceiling and said, “When do you leave?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

She didn’t speak for a long time, and it took a while before she said “Oh”.

Lu Shi Qing sighed, got up and sat next to her, embraced her and said, “The Turks have attacked the Huihu, and it was Second Prince who brought them in. The court cannot ignore this matter. Regardless of whether the leader of the army is the prince who fled from the exile of our Great Zhou, if today the imperial court stands on the sideline, then tomorrow the Huihu will suffers disaster, and the day after that they will be conquered by the Turks’ cavalry, then our people…”

“I know.” Yuan Ci Xian interrupted him, “You don’t have to explain this to me, I understand the reason, I just…” She bit her lip and tilted her head to look at him, “In less than two months, I will give birth.”

Lu Shi Qing nodded and stroked the corners of her red eyes, and said with a smile: “It’s just right. Two months is just right. Then I’ll give them the report of victory as a birthday present.”

Yuan Ci Xian’s nose was sore, and when she heard the word “report of victory”, she asked, “This time, you didn’t go for peace talks, right?”

He shook his head: “This battle is different from the confrontation with Nanzhao last time, it must be fought. The imperial court will send troops to aid the Huihu, but I will not go to the front line, only follow the reinforcements to the Huihu, and meet the Khan to make an alliance contract. So you don’t have to worry. A Zhuo and I have been preparing for this matter for a month, and nothing will go wrong.”

“What about him?” Yuan Ci Xian asked, ” Is he the one who led the troops?”

He shook his head again: “Firstly, Great Zhou sent troops to help the Huihu, leaving several empty gates, so he must stay in the capital and be vigilant against Ping Prince. Secondly, this is not the best time for him to show his face.”

Yuan Ci Xian understood when she heard this, and said with a pout: “To discuss an alliance with the Khan, you may not have to go. You’re only going for His Sixth Highness’ sake.”

On the surface, he was sent as an envoy on behalf of the emperor and Great Zhou, but in fact, it was to help Zheng Zhuo get Dolan Chuu’s support.

Lu Shi Qing nodded at this time.

Yuan Ci Xian sniffed, looked at him unconvinced, “Even if I bring out two children to this world, the three of us together can’t compare to him!”

He smiled when he heard this, leaned over and put the tip of his nose on hers: “I promise, I will definitely catch up with your delivery.”

She glanced at him: “What if you’re late?”

“You say.”

In the end Yuan Ci Xian was not willing to make him swear an oath, and said bitterly: “If you’re late, after giving birth I’ll pack up the bag, and carry it to run to Huihu to catch you!”